Exam Content
With the growing number of multilingual learners in the United States, it is vital for teachers to understand English learner (EL) laws, policies, and trends in EL education and their implications of K–12 education. Laws and court decisions at both the federal and state levels have shaped multilingual learner education. Knowledge of EL laws and policies ensures that teachers provide appropriate instruction, including meeting time limits, using methodology, and using instructional strategies that benefit these unique learners.
Scenario
Envision yourself as a teacher who has extensive SEI training and who has taught ELs for several years. Your principal has hired several new teachers and has asked you to train these new faculty members on English learner law and policy and the impact it will have on their classrooms, including how ELs are identified and supported. To do this, you will create an interactive presentation with overviews of several court decisions and federal and state laws. The training will provide new teachers with the opportunity to reflect on how they will broadly shape EL instruction in their classrooms.
Preparation
Research the following:
Court decisions
Lau v. Nichols (1974)
Plyler v. Doe (1982)
Flores v. State of Arizona
Federal laws
Equal Education Opportunities Act (EEOA) of 1974
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015
State laws: Choose either Arizona’s state laws (Arizona Proposition 203 and Arizona House Bill 2064) or your own state’s laws.
Consult this week’s learning activities and the Wk 2 University Library resources for support.
Assessment Deliverable
Create an 8- to 12-slide presentation in which you:
Provide a brief overview of each of the court decisions, federal laws, and state laws regarding EL education.
Explain how each court decision, federal law, and state law has directly impacted English language education in your state.
Describe how your knowledge of EL law and policy shapes multilingual instruction in your classroom.
Give specific examples based on the requirements in the laws and policies you researched (e.g., I plan for 30 minutes of vocabulary instruction each day for my multilingual learners, I incorporate targeted lessons for my ELs).
Include at least 2 interactive elements (e.g., polls, short quizzes, reflection questions, etc.) in your presentation. Think about what keeps you engaged when you are in a training.
Include a final activity for your audience that encourages them to reflect on how they will focus on EL instruction in their classrooms. This can be a broad statement or plan to get them started.
Cite 3 to 5 references to support your assignment.
Format your citations and references according to APA guidelines.
Consider creating your presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides, Prezi, or another presentation tool approved by your faculty member.
Formatting Requirements
Include the following components in your presentation:
Comprehensive speaker notes for your slides or recorded voiceover in your presentation
Graphics or images to make it visually appealing
A title slide
A references slide for any sources and/or images cited
Submit your presentation.
Assessment Support
Review the rubric for guidance on deliverable expectations.
If you choose to use Microsoft PowerPoint, review the Add or Record Audio page on the Microsoft® website for tips on how to record voiceover in Microsoft PowerPoint.
Review the following resources for writing guidelines, APA information, and a sample presentation that can help guide your presentation development:
Center for Writing Excellence
Reference and Citation Generator
Grammar Assistance
Looking Ahead
The laws and policies you learned about may benefit you when you complete your Wk 4 Summative Assessment: Language Acquisition Elements Plan. Consider the requirements for teaching multilingual learners you discovered this week as you complete that summative assessment.
